Unveiling the Gospel in Noah’s Ark
One thing I’ve learned when studying the Bible is that God likes to tell us the same story over and over and over again in many different ways. Maybe it’s because we are dimwitted? Maybe it’s because he’s designed us each with different types of learning style? Or maybe it’s because the story is just THAT important, he wants to make sure we don’t miss it? What’s the story that keeps repeating over and over again even in the Old Testament? Why the Gospel of course!
If you have time, read the story of Noah’s ark once again and see if you can find the Gospel in it. Feel free to use my Notice and Wonder chart to help you read it with fresh eyes and pick up some new details.
Journey with me as we take a deep dive into Noah’s ark and the flood. 😉
If you want the study that accompanies this blog post, check out my Genesis 6 study. Be sure to subscribe to get more posts like these delivered straight to your inbox!
Starting in the New Testament
Scripture interprets Scripture, so let’s start in the New Testament and see what Apostle Peter says about the flood.
“To those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.”
~1 Peter 3: 20-22, NIV
I realize this is a controversial passage for many Christians, so I don’t want to get into that part of it. I just want to focus on this question: What does the flood water represent? Answer: Baptism.
Mankind Prior to the Flood
What was mankind’s state before the flood? Genesis 6: 6-7 tells us the following:
“The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.”
~ Genesis 6: 6-7, NIV
Mankind was so evil that God wanted to destroy them. Their destiny was death, destruction, and hell.
Noah
Noah was different. He found favor in the eyes of God. According to Hebrews 11: 7, he was a man of faith.
The Ark
What was the ark made out of and what did that symbolize? The ark was made of gopher or cypress wood and covered with pitch. The word for pitch is “kapar” and it means to cover over, atone for sin, ransom.
Fun fact: the basket that Moses was put in was also covered in pitch and called an ark!
The Date the Ark Landed
Another thing I’ve learned when studying the Bible is the importance of dates. There are two calendars in Jewish tradition: the civil calendar and the religious calendar (Exodus 12:1). At this point we are using the civil calendar, for the religious one wasn’t invented yet.
“And on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.”
~ Genesis 8: 4, NIV
This is the same date as the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, and the same date when the Israelites celebrated the Feast of Firstfruits (that’s the Sunday after the Passover week). It is also the same exact day when Christ rose from the dead!!!!
Where the Ark Landed
The ark landed on Mt. Ararat which means “reversal of the curse.”
The First Bird
The first bird Noah sent out was a raven. In Hebrew the word for raven is =”orebh” which means to be black. In the Bible blackness often symbolizes sin.
Note: This symbolism points to a contrast between light and dark. It has no bearing on skin color as all people are created in the image of God.
The Second Bird
The second bird Noah sent out was a dove. Doves represent many things in the Bible-peace/love/tenderness/purity/hope/devotion. It was considered a “clean animal” according to Jewish law and therefore allowed to be used for sacrifices or atonement. But what does a dove represent in Matthew 3:16-17?
“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’”
~Matthew 3:16-17, NIV
Answer: Why the Holy Spirit of course!
The Olive Leaf
The dove eventually returns with an olive leaf. Olive trees symbolize peace among many other things.
Putting Everything Together Thus Far
Now let’s make a list of everything we learned far, and see if you can find the gospel in it:
- Mankind was evil and deserved death and judgment.
- God sent judgment (flood) that brought death and destruction.
- But God also sent a Man of Faith.
- The Man of Faith made a vessel for atonement (pitch) for all who believed (Noah and his family).
- The curse was reversed (Ararat).
- Sin (the raven) left.
- The Holy Spirit (dove) was released and brought peace (olive branch) back with him.
- Now mankind could start a new life on a new Earth.
- And this all happened on the anniversary of when Christ was raised from the dead!
The floodwaters that meant to bring death, brought a new, better, more peaceful life for all who believed and accepted the atonement cover. Through Baptism our old sinful selves (Old Adam) die in the waters, and out of the waters a new, better, spiritual self rooted in Christ comes.
The Flood and the Gospel
Is not the story of the flood eerily similar to the story of the Gospel? Although, Noah is not Jesus, his story foreshadows that of our perfect savior Jesus Christ who can save us from the floodwaters of eternal death. Noah gained a new earth, but he and his family were still sinful (although better than most of their contemporaries). Yet Jesus will not only give us a new earth but new spiritual selves in the life to come, so we can be fully free and without sin. The whole Bible is the same story over and over again of God bringing life from death based on faith. God does the atonement and sacrifice for us and his Spirit brings us peace.
Application
Have you been baptized? If not, why not talk to a pastor and get baptized soon! Leave your old sinful life behind you and start a new life in Jesus. If you have been baptized, how are you daily living out your baptism vows?
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Well done Annie. Who knew all those important Biblical events happened on the same day?